


But her True Love be the Sea

by WhenTheCanonShootsOnlyBlanks



Category: Jane the Virgin (TV)
Genre: F/F, Happy Birthday Mickie!, More swords!, Pirate AU, They are both smirking pirates in leather pants, can you imagine?
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-20
Updated: 2017-07-20
Packaged: 2018-12-04 13:42:00
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,896
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11556375
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WhenTheCanonShootsOnlyBlanks/pseuds/WhenTheCanonShootsOnlyBlanks
Summary: In the hands of her captor, her title means nothing. To stay would mean to hang, but to go would mean to leave the woman with the beautiful eyes.OrPirate drama on the high seas.





	But her True Love be the Sea

**Author's Note:**

  * For [nearlymidnight](https://archiveofourown.org/users/nearlymidnight/gifts).



> HAPPY BIRTHDAY MICKIE!!!
> 
> Ask and you shall receive, so have some lady pirate drama!
> 
> Hope you enjoy the fic and have an awesome birthday, love you <3<3<3

It was a clear day, the sun beaming down on the bleached wooden deck of the _Marina’s Dream_ , a strong wind carrying them to where they needed to go.

The ship’s captain gave command to her first mate and made her way down to the cargo hold. The wooden planks creaking comfortingly underneath as she walked, intent on paying their guest a visit.

It was dark below decks, but the captain could find her way across the ship blind. It wasn’t necessary today, an oil lamp was lit, showing the hunched form of a woman trapped in a steel cage.

‘Captain Alver, you should have let me die,’ the woman spat as she noticed the captain approaching. Her wrists bound with heavy shackles which led back to the wall behind her. She looked smaller inside the cell than out, but her still wet clothes and limp hair might be playing a part in that as well.

‘Captain Ruvelle,’ Luisa greeted, waving the guard away as she pulled a chair in front of the cell’s thick bars.

‘Can’t be a captain without a ship, which you sank,’ Rose said, her eyes alight with anger.

‘Or a crew, whom I killed,’ Luisa added, watching with barely concealed amusement as Rose forget about her chains and flew at her, stopping a foot short of the bars. Her lips contorted into a sneer, making the scar on her lip more pronounced. Her ice blue eyes were spitting fire Luisa could almost feel the heat off.

‘You should have let me go down with my ship. It would have been _honorable_ ,’ Rose bit out. Even half-drowned and taken prisoner she was still the most beautiful woman Luisa had ever seen. Anger suited her well.

‘Honorable, maybe. Stupid, definitely. And I don’t do stupid. There’s a bounty on your head and I plan to collect it. You are wanted alive, not dead. You betrayed your king and he wants his revenge.’

Rose’s title as Queen of the Sea was far more than an empty gesture.

Rose guffawed a laugh. ‘Last I saw, there was a bounty on your head as well. You go to collect mine and we will walk to the gallows together.’

‘I think the king will pardon me when I present him with his runaway bride, don’t you?’

Rose looked at her, her eyes as unreadable as the seas they sailed, hiding a treasure-trove of mysteries in their depths. ‘He might, but do you want to take that risk?’

‘The money more than makes it worth it,’ Luisa smiled. ‘So I hope you’re comfortable, it’s a long way home.’

Rose muttered something under her breath.

‘Sorry, I didn’t quite catch that,’ Luisa said, stepping closer to the cage. Even barefoot Rose still towered over her, the shackles or steel bars doing nothing to dim Rose’s bravado.

‘I will be more comfortable in here than I would have been in his palace,’ Rose said casually.

Unable to help herself, she was too curious for her own good, her father had always said so, she asked the question that had been on her mind since learning of Rose’s past years back.

‘You could have been queen of an empire. Why run from that?’

‘I would have been queen of nothing. An empty figurehead with no power except a pretty face. Freedom is why I ran. Freedom to do what I want, to be who I want to be, be with who I want to be with.’ Her gaze firmly set on Luisa.

Luisa nodded. She could respect that. She too had chosen freedom over family. Her own betrayal not as dramatic as Rose fleeing from London in her wedding dress, but still enough to get her disowned by her father.

‘I’ll see someone brings you something to eat,’ Luisa said as she turned on her heels.

‘Captain,’ Rose called after her, the title dripping like venom from her tongue. ‘I am already in a cell. Do I really need the shackles?’

Luisa grinned. ‘Oh, you do. And don’t forgot, we might be alike, you and I, that doesn’t mean I trust you.’

‘ _Aye aye, Captain_ ,’ Rose said, attempting to go for a mock salute but her chains got in the way.

Luisa just laughed and returned to the deck. That bounty was as good as hers, she just needed to deal with Rose for the remained of their journey to London. She could just take her to the Port Royal, the British center of power in the Caribbean, but she had learned a long time ago it was better to go straight to the source.

The door fell closed behind the captain and Rose sighed, the chains rattling as she lowered her hands into her lap. The name of the woman who held her captive circling through her head like it was trapped in a whirlpool.

_Luisa Alver._

If they called her the Queen of the Sea, Luisa would surely have been the princess. Born in Spain, her father was advisor to the king, as close to royalty as one could be without actually having any blue blood.

Rose chuckled, even if they hadn’t ended up where they were now, they would still have been enemies.

She smiled and leaned back against the wall, watching the flickering of the dying oil lamp across from her. Soon she would be in total darkness. Rose didn’t care. She wouldn’t be here for much longer anyway. She had no intentions to go back to London to get either hanged as a pirate or beheaded as a traitor. Her neck was on the line, and no matter how dark Captain Alver’s brown eyes got, she was not going to let it snap.

* * *

‘Do you visit all your prisoners this often?’ Rose asked when the familiar silhouette of the pirate captain came down the stairs, seemingly carrying a bowl of something.

‘We don’t usually take prisoners, I am sure the novelty of you will wear off over time. And then you’ll get to sit here alone in the dark.’ Truth was, Luisa was far too intrigued by the runaway-queen below decks not to.

She put the bowl of stew down on a nearby barrel as she refilled the oil in the lamp and lit the wick, dousing the room in a soft yellow glow.

As she turned around she noticed Rose was not where she had expected her to be. The other woman had moved into the far corner of her cell, the chains only just allowing her to sit there comfortably.

‘And you brought me dinner. At least, I assume it is dinner. It’s hard to tell time in here.’

‘It’s dinner,’ Luisa clarified, sliding the bowl through the bars on the opposite end of the cell from Rose. She had learned earlier that day the other woman was lighting fast and would rather not get too close to her. Rose didn’t move, even after Luisa had stepped away she made no attempt to get her food.

‘Well, eat up. My cook really outdid herself,’ Luisa said as she sat back down on the stool in front of the bars, a safe distance away from Rose.

‘Not hungry,’ Rose shrugged.

‘Starving yourself is not going to help you. I would prefer to deliver you into the hands of the king in good health. But as long as you’re breathing I’ll still get my reward. So have some bread,’ Luisa said as she dug a chunk of bread out of her pocket, tossing it at Rose, who attempted to catch it but with her shackled hands she wasn’t quick enough and the piece of bread hit her square in the face.

‘I’m sorry,’ Luisa said immediately. ‘That was not my intention.’

Rose was deadly quiet for a moment before she started laughing. ‘Oh, the indignity of getting hit in the face with a piece of stale bread. What has become of me?’

Luisa chuckled softly; it was pretty funny.

Rose shook her head and took a bite of the bread, still laughing. She was in remarkably good spirits for someone who was being held captive and dragged to her death, and it should have unnerved Luisa, but really hearing Rose laugh made something stir low in her stomach.

There was no denying Rose was attractive. The fiery red hair and sky blue eyes enchanting everyone who took them in, no wonder King George had wanted to marry her. But it was the fire behind those clear blue eyes Luisa found the most attractive. They were alike. Much more so than either of them was likely to admit. So Luisa couldn’t stay away, taking Rose’s food down to her herself instead of letting one of her crew members do it.

‘So, are you joining me for dinner or do you have important captainly duties to attend to?’ Rose said, pulling the bowl of stew closer to her.

‘I trust my first mate to sail the ship in my stead. And now I have you, I don’t need to figure out where my next gold is going to come from.’

‘Well, at least me being your meal ticket is keeping me fed,’ Rose smiled as she dunked her bread in the stew before taking a bite.

‘So tell me, where’s your ship?’

‘At the bottom of the ocean, after you turned it into swiss cheese this afternoon. Is your memory truly that bad?’

‘I sank _a_ ship. It wasn’t yours.’

‘I was on it, wasn’t it?’ Rose said dryly, continuing to eat.

‘Yes, you and five others. Barely enough to keep your ship afloat. Where’s the _Black Thorn_ and the rest of your crew?’

‘We all need our secrets,’ Rose smiled, looking up from her dinner for the first time in a while, her eyes glinting, a smirk curving her lips.

Suddenly Luisa felt that Rose easy, happy attitude might have had a reason. The _Black Thorn_ was still out there, maybe already in pursuit of them. And Luisa knew she couldn’t outrun the British vessel, or survive a blast from one of its 32 cannons. Maybe this all had been a trap.

‘Hope you sleep well tonight,’ Rose called after her as Luisa stormed up the stairs two at the time, knowing right now she would not get any sleep. Capturing Rose might not have been as easy as she had initially assumed…

* * *

Rose whistled a jaunty tune as Luisa practically flew from the ship’s belly like chased by the devil. And in a way she was.

Rose should have rendezvoused with Nadine by now, and once her second-in-command wouldn’t have seen her ship doom up on the horizon, she would have raised the _Black Thorn’s_ sails and set out to find her. Rose figured it would be a day at most before the much faster ship caught up with Luisa’s _Marina’s Dream_.  

And apparently Captain Alver had realized that too. Rose smiled and finished her bowl of stew. She would be out of here quickly enough.

* * *

Once on deck Luisa started barking orders. She sent one girl into the crow’s nest to keep a look out for Rose’s ship, telling the others to prepare for a fight.

They had easily boarded Rose’s ship that morning, but she had been operating with a skeleton crew that could barely keep the ship afloat, let alone man cannons or keep a full assault from Luisa’s crew at bay. Going up against the _Black Thorn’s_ full power would be hard, if not impossible.

They remained vigilant the whole night, but as the sun rose, the horizon was still clear, not a ship in sight, yet it didn’t ease Luisa’s worries. She told most of her crew to get some sleep, and keep one eye open in case they were needed for a fight.

Instead of retiring to her own cabin, Luisa descended back into the belly of the ship.

‘Ah, Captain. Is it time for breakfast yet003F’ Rose’s voice rang out from the complete dark of the brig, it was a little disconcerting as the sound echoed, seemingly coming from everywhere at once.

With one hand on the hilt of saber, she refilled and lit the oil lamp, finding Rose still safely shackled to the wall, smiling serenely up at her, not a care in the world.

‘You planned this.’ Luisa said, pacing in front of the cell’s iron bars.

‘Yes, I planned you slaughtering my crew and sinking my ship just so I could spend a couple of hours in your gracious company. I know people call my sly, but that is a bit much even for me.’

‘That ship was one storm away from sinking, we both know it. And as for your crew, you’ve never been above making sacrifices. No, this was a trap, you wanted to get caught by someone so you could take their ship.’

‘Cunning and ruthless. I wish I had thought of it,’ Rose said, crossing her legs nonchalantly.

Luisa narrowed her eyes, searching Rose’s face, but it was still just as unreadable as the seas they sailed.

It had to be a trap, Rose had to be lying. It wouldn’t make sense otherwise.

In a burst of anger of having been played so expertly, Luisa drew her sword, pointing it at Rose through the bars.

Rose seemed unfazed, looking at Luisa over the sharp blade.

‘Killing me will not save you.’

‘No, but it will make me feel a little better before I go,’ Luisa growled.

Rose chuckled, carelessly pushing the sword away with her hand. ‘We both know you’re not going to kill me, it’s not like you.’

Luisa knuckles turned white on the blade’s grip. But Rose was right; she wouldn’t kill her. She sheeted her sword.

Feeling overwhelmed she collapsed onto the chair in the front of the bars. Now she was away from her crew she could finally let her panic and fear overtake her.

There had to be something, something she could do to get out this trap she had climbed in herself. To save her crew, who relied on her to keep them safe. But nothing came to her. There was absolutely nothing she could do. She couldn’t hide, she couldn’t win a fight and she definitely couldn’t outrun the _Black Thorn_. There was nothing.

‘Here,’ Rose thrust a cup of water at her. ‘You should drink something.’

Luisa froze. She hadn’t heard Rose get up, there was less than a foot between them now. Rose could have easily stolen her pistol or saber, instead she had offered her some of her water.

Her hands shaking slightly, Luisa accepted the cup, slowly bringing it to her lips. She didn’t step out of Rose’s reach, not sure why she didn’t. Maybe she wanted to see if Rose was going to do something, test her on something she wasn’t sure of.

‘You know, there is a scenario you haven’t considered,’ Rose said, leaning against the bars, Luisa feeling the warmth of her body, so close together were they.

‘And what’s that?’ Luisa asked, meeting Rose’s eyes, finding something unexpectedly soft in them.

‘That I am telling the truth, and this was not a trap. And that while my crew is coming to get me, I might not want to kill you all.’

Luisa threw her head back and laughed, the sound high and chocked, reverberating around the room.

‘Well, that doesn’t sound like you at all.’

Rose shrugged. ‘I don’t hold you responsible for this.’ She raised her arms, the shackles clinking together softly. ‘You saw an undermanned ship flying no flag. I would have pounced too. You didn’t know it was me, it was just bad luck. So if you release me, I’ll just get on back on my ship and we can both go our own way.’

‘And why would I trust you?’ Luisa said.

‘Because it’s the only option you have,’ Rose said casually, and Luisa knew it was true. ‘And because you and I are too much alike to be enemies. We are both women fighting for our freedom in this world of men. Amongst other things.’ She looked Luisa open and down, openly appraising her.

‘You suggest a truce?’

‘No, I suggest a partnership. We could rule these seas together, Luisa.’

Luisa clenched her teeth, all of this sounded too be good to be true. And in her life, she had learned when things sounded too good to be true, they usually were.

‘They call you the Queen of the Sea, you don’t need me. You can rule these seas all on your own.’

‘Maybe,’ Rose shrugged. ‘But these ships get drafty at night and I can’t get warm by myself.’

Luisa felt her cheeks color against her will. It had been a while since she had so openly been propositioned.

‘I have seen you looking at me. I know you feel the same.’

Luisa swallowed, Rose wasn’t wrong, yet what she was proposing... ‘You would spare me and my crew if I sleep with you?’

Rose recoiled, offended. Her eyebrows knitted together like the very idea was distasteful to her.

‘What do you take me for? A man? Using his power to extort sex from a woman in need? No. I meant what I said; we would be partners. Sailing the seas together, sharing a bed too if you so wish. I would not use pleasure as a term in my agreement to spare your life, and the ones of everyone on this ship. Only a man would.’ She huffed, turning away from Luisa.

‘I don’t know if I can trust you,’ Luisa said softly.

‘I can say the same. And I am the one in chains. But whatever you decide, Luisa,’ Rose had turned around, her face pressed against the bars, inches from Luisa’s own, ‘I will spare you regardless. See it as a sign of good will.’

Precisely at that moment, a young woman came running down the stairs.

‘Captain! Ship on the horizon!’ she panted, eyes wide with fear.

Luisa ground her teeth. She had to make a decision, give an order. To trust Rose or not to.

She looked at the other captain. Could she risk trusting the woman whose very ship was currently pursuing her?

‘You have a couple of hours before they catch up,’ Rose said calmly. There wasn’t anything she could do, Luisa had to make this decision for herself.

Luisa bit her lip. This decision was either gonna make of break her. ‘Turn the ship around. Meet them head on.’

‘Captain…’ the girl said, confused.

‘That’s an order. You’re dismissed,’ Luisa said. She had nothing to lose. She would be dead either way, at least this way she had a chance.

Rose smiled, pleasantly surprised.

Luisa unhooked the keys from her belt, unlocking the cell’s door.

Rose presented her hands to her without prompting.

Luisa hesitated for a moment, and then unlocked the shackles as well.

‘You better not make me regret this,’ she hissed.

‘Wouldn’t dream of it,’ Rose smiled, massaging her wrists. ‘Now, I would suggest you hoist a white flag, because otherwise my crew _will_ come in guns blazing, whether I want them to or not.’

Luisa nodded, looking down at Rose’s simple white blouse billowing around her bare legs. ‘I expect you want your clothes back too?’

‘If you would be so kind,’ Rose smiled.

Luisa didn’t know how to feel. Here she was, sailing straight towards the enemy, an enemy she had just released. She guessed she should feel nervous, but instead she just felt calm. She didn’t _know_ if she could trust Rose on her word, yet against her head, her heart seemed to do so.

She stood back as Rose got dressed, feeling a moment of panic as Rose picked up her gun. But she just slipped it into its holster on her belt, same with her sword.

Rose smiled at her once she was fully dressed, and despite the situation, Luisa couldn’t help notice how beautiful Rose looked in her long, emerald green coat. The color wonderfully contrasting with her hair.

Once she was fully dressed again, leather pants and all, she looked up at Luisa, one eyebrow raised, seemingly saying “what’s next?”.

‘Follow me,’ Luisa said, leading Rose up the stairs.

Rose took a deep breath once outside, the fresh sea air filling her lungs. The scent of freedom.

The effect of her presence - unshackled, fully dressed and armed - on deck was immediate. Everyone stopped what they were doing and stared, some reaching for their weapons.

Luisa raised her hand. ‘Someone raise a white flag. We’re surrendering.’

Knowing better than to question their captain, the crew woke from their daze and returned to the job at hand, keeping an eye on Rose regardless.

‘They respect you,’ Rose said as she walked to the bow of the ship, resting her arms on the bannister as she looked at Luisa, who had followed.

‘I am their captain.’

‘Yes, but you’re more than that. I know you didn’t spend a second thinking about your own life just now, just theirs.’ She motioned to the other female pirates going about their jobs but keeping a sharp eye on the two captains.

Luisa didn’t reply.

Side by side they stared at the waves split in two on the ship’s prow, the wind carrying them closer to Rose’s ship with every passing second.

Now both ships were sailing towards each other, the _Black Thorn_ caught up with _Marina’s Dream_ in less than an hour.

As the war ship approached Luisa momentarily felt her dormant nerves flare. Rose had given her word, the white flag of surrender was raised, but still Luisa had her doubts.

But as the _Black Thorn_ got closer, the cannons remained quiet.

Rose moved to portside as her ship pulled alongside.

‘Missed me?’ Rose laughed.

‘Captain,’ a dark-skinned woman greeted, a smile on her face. ‘Made some friends I see.’

‘Always do.’ Rose stepped on the bannister, grabbing one of the ropes hanging from the mast to steady herself.

Luisa watched her: this was it. Rose could decide now to attack them, regardless of her promises. She was a pirate after all.

‘Captain Alver,’ Rose said, turning around before making the jump to the safety of her own ship. ‘My offer remains open. Come find me when you change your mind.’ She grinned, her blue eyes sparkling merrily. With a gracefulness that would be befitting of a queen, Rose swung across the gap between the two ships, landing safely on the deck.

‘Rose!’ Luisa called out. ‘These seas are large. How will I find you when I do?’

_When. Not if._

Rose laughed. ‘You did it once. I am sure you can do it again.’

‘Safe journey, captain.’

‘You too, captain,’ Rose replied, tipping her hat.

Luisa watched as the _Black Thorn_ took off in the opposite direction, its captain back at the helm.

Her crew looked at her in astonishment.

‘What are you all standing around for? Get to work!’ Luisa shouted, unable to keep the smile of her face. She and Rose would meet again, and maybe then she would take her up on her offer. Ruling the seas together with the Queen didn’t sound so bad. But for now, the seas were her own to conquer, and there was one less enemy to worry about.


End file.
